Dear Friends
by pyrat-xo
Summary: There are gods and men and the ones in between, and there are the ones crushed under it all. [Shandians]


**Dear Friends**

_They were too damned cool to not have a fic dedicated to 'em! This is mostly for Kamakiri, but he's nothing without Wiper and Wiper's nothing without his friends even though he tries so hard. So this is for all of 'em. Interpret it however you like. Warning! Language._

XO

She's always felt a little left out.

When the five of them were still little and Genbou still got teased for not being able to handle the skates yet, it was Braham (who'd been the only one at that time who worked out regularly and was bigger than Genbou; only all muscle) who had stepped in and whaled on the other kids so badly they couldn't move for a week.

Kamakiri was one of the scrawnier ones; he and Wiper both were scrappers. No real training but fast, and tough as nails. Wiper was popular as hell for being an all-around jackass and Kamakiri by association for being able to make friends with a guy like that. And everyone else, actually, so he got between Braham and the others and took his hits and fought back hard. Wiper didn't have many actual friends so he joined in to keep one of his closest from more brain damage than he's already suffered when his mother dropped him as a kid.

Or at least that's what Wiper liked to say, no one was really sure if it was true or not.

XO

They became friends afterwards (Laki doesn't get it but thinks maybe it's just a guy thing) and Kamakiri, even before he got into the dial-skates was already using the 'board like he was born on the ocean clouds. It was probably the only thing he could beat Wiper at, and he was all right with that.

Against the advice of the adults, she had joined the warriors and learned to aim and shoot a gun, to fight with dials like the others had been doing since they were little and to regain the Shandia their ancestors had fought so hard to protect. It was a matter of pride.

She got to know them better, later, when something had leapt out of the forest on one of their raids and she had shot it in the face before either Wiper or Kamakiri had a chance to take a shot at it. Genbou had whistled appreciatively and Kamakiri had flashed her a grin (even though he was disappointed that they hadn't had any excitement in so long and Laki had scared it away before they could have any fun). That was the first time Braham even acknowledged her existance besides the time he had tossed her a shotgun and told her to shoot it and also the only time in all the years she's known Wiper that he'd looked at her straight in the eye and nodded his approval.

After that, attacks from the back had gotten more common and she had wondered why until Kamakiri had bumped into her from behind and apologized for not keeping a careful enough eye out. They stopped trying to help out after Wiper told them she'd be fine and if they screwed up, he'd kick their asses.

XO

One time, she saw Wiper walk up to behind Kamakiri and Braham and grab a fistful of hair from each and jerk back and he said

Cut it,

and they did. The next day Braham was bald and Kamakiri's braids were gone and they joined the ranks of the real Shandian warriors, who didn't patrol or keep watch but actually fought back.

Genbou had joined them about a year after, not wanting to get involved in the conflict until the one time Wiper came back wth half of his ribs broken and his leg twisted at a funny angle, Kamakiri just on the verge of snapping and killing someone out of frustration because there was nothing he could do and Braham trying as hard as he could to get help but not being able to find any.

They had ended up clumsily treating their leader until a medic could be found and they'd hovered anxiously behind him until Wiper had ordered them all the hell out of his tent.

XO

It's only Kamakiri who's painfully aware of Laki actually being a woman instead of just another warrior and a little weaker than the others, though a little faster. He's polite like they are to all the ladies and he holds the flaps of tents open for her and stands back to let her go first. He helps her carry weapons and heavy stuff from one end of camp to another to speed things up and he stops to talk to her even though he'd much rather do something else.

He smiles for her and protects her. He'd die for her (and Genbou and Braham and everyone else) but it's only Wiper he sees and it's only Wiper he'd follow to Cloud's End and beyond. Wiper takes out his frustration on Kamakiri (and calls him a 'fucking stupid martyr' for the fact that he won't let him take it out on the others and the fact that he keeps getting injured protecting other people when he was one of their main warriors-- and for various other reasons-- with a sort of grudging affection), but he just takes it with a shit-eating grin and distracts his friend by drawing him into a conversation with Genbou and Braham and Laki and soon Braham's cracking jokes and they're in stitches, but Wiper just lays back and relaxes at the sound of laughter all around him.

XO

With a war going on; now against both Enel and Angel Island, there's not much any of them can do but to keep fighting and to protect the remainder of the tribe. Even setting foot on Shandia was dangerous because of the priests and so they watch out for each other and circle the island to attack those getting either onto it or off.

Every night, Genbou and Braham sit near the fire and talk for a while or just sit in silence and stare at the flames or the stars or wherever they want to look. Kamakiri and Wiper head to their tent and sit and talk or just sit and sometimes they just collapse onto their mats, too tired to move.

Laki shares her tent with another woman, though they don't talk much. Her tent-mate cries a lot, and talks about her husband a lot as well, even though no one knows where he went.

They all go to sleep and dream of Vearth.

XO

Kamakiri tells Wiper he doesn't go to ring the bell with him for a reason and that reason is that he doesn't want to see the sentimental bastard sobbing his eyes out over a big yellow bell. It's pathetic; if a warrior has to cry, he shouldn't drag the others into it too.

Wiper tells him that's bullshit, but the first time he goes alone and rings the bell, he sits down and covers his face with his big, rough hands and is surprised to find his cheeks wet and him laughing harder than he ever had before.

Genbou smiles as he hears the sweet, sweet sound of gold on gold and goes to sharpen the axes for the next shift, tapping Laki on the shoulder and jerking his thumb over his own shoulder as an invite.

Braham shares a satisfied, contented look with Kamakiri, who just smiles and shrugs and crosses his arms. Closes his eyes and waits for his friend to come home.

-end


End file.
